Hey, 49ers — watch out for the birds

The San Francisco 49ers may have a new special interest to contend with when they build their new Santa Clara stadium — birds.

The draft environmental impact report released today warns, among other things, that the stadium construction could result in the destruction or abandonment of raptor nests and those of other migratory birds that populate the area.

The report says the the nesting period for most of the area’s birds runs from February through August. Consequently, demolition and construction should be limited to between September and January, which just happens to coincide with the football season.

If that’s not possible, the report says construction crews will need to provide 250-feet “construction-free buffer zones” around any active nests.

The report also notes that the proposed 68,500-seat stadium is close enough to neighboring industrial gas facilities that fans could be exposed “to toxic chemicals if a worst-case release were ever to occur.” Hence, an emergency evacuation plan for the stadium would be required.

The 346-page environmental report also addresses issues ranging from tailgate barbecuing to traffic and noise. You can read the full report here.